Musical sound equipment case

Abstract

A musical sound equipment case used for rack-mounting sound equipment has a molded body with top and bottom surfaces raised above the valences. During impact to the top or bottom surface, the entire surface acts as a bumper or shock absorber to spread the load of the impact across the surface, as opposed to in the direction of the impact itself. Thus, the valences are less likely to experience the force of such an impact, and therefore less likely to incur damage.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A musical sound equipment case comprising: a body with a top a right side, a bottom, and a left side, all molded as a single piece and connected such that the body has an open front, an open back, and a cavity therebetween,   said body having a first outwardly extending lip stretching across the top of the open front, down the right side of the open front, across the bottom of the open front, and up the left side of the open front, such that the first lip traverses along substantially the entire periphery of the open front,   said body further having a second outwardly extending lip stretching across the top of the open back, down the right side of the open back, across the bottom of the open back, and up the left side of the open back, such that the second lip traverses along substantially the entire periphery of the open back,   said top having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips that stretch across the top of the open front and open back respectively,   said bottom having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips that stretch across the bottom of the open front and open back respectively,   said right side of the body and said left side of the body having openings cut out for receiving handle assemblies.   
     
     
       2. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 1 wherein the right side and the left side of the body each have handle assemblies fixedly attached thereto and covering the openings in the right and left sides respectively. 
     
     
       3. A musical sound equipment case comprising: a body with a top, a right side, a bottom, and a left side, all molded as a single piece and connected such that the body has an open front, an open back, and a cavity therebetween;   a front panel removably attached to the body at the open front of the body, said front panel having a lip that extends inwardly toward the cavity, and circumscribes the inner periphery of the front panel;   a back panel removably attached to the body at the open back of the body, said back panel having a lip that extends inwardly toward the cavity, and circumscribes the inner periphery of the back panel;   said body having a first outwardly extending lip stretching across the top of the open front, down the right side of the open front, across the bottom of the open front, and up the left side of the open front, such that the first lip traverses along substantially the entire periphery of the open front;   said body further having a second outwardly extending lip stretching across the top of the open back, down the right side of the open back, across the bottom of the open back, and up the left side of the open back, such that the second lip traverses along substantially the entire periphery of the open back;   said top having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips that stretch across the top of the open front and open back respectively;   said bottom having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips that stretch across the bottom of the open front and open back respectively;   the musical sound equipment case further comprising a first valence circumscribing the lip at the open front of the body, a second valence circumscribing the lip at the open back of the body, a third valence circumscribing the lip of the front panel, and a fourth valence circumscribing the lip of the back panel, said first and third valences uniting to rest substantially flush against one another when the front panel is attached to the open front of the body, said second and fourth valences uniting to rest substantially flush against one another when the back panel is attached to the open back of the body; and   said raised outer surface of the top extending farther outwardly than the portions of the four valences along the top of the case, and said raised outer surface of the bottom extending farther outwardly than the portions of the four valences along the bottom of the case.   
     
     
       4. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 3 wherein at least one of the first and second valences is adapted to receive rack-mountable musical sound equipment. 
     
     
       5. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 4 wherein the top of the body has a plurality of male stacking ridges, and wherein the bottom of the body has a plurality of corresponding female stacking ridges, such that when a second case is stacked on top of a first case, the male stacking ridges on the top of the first case fit snugly into the female stacking ridges on the bottom of the second case. 
     
     
       6. A musical sound equipment case comprising: a body molded as a single piece having a top, a right side, a bottom, a left side, an open front, and an open back, and a cavity therebetween,   said body further comprising a first outwardly extending lip traversing substantially the entire periphery of the open front, and a second outwardly extending lip traversing substantially the entire periphery of the open back,   a front panel removably attached to the body at the open front of the body, said front panel having a lip that extends inwardly toward the cavity, and circumscribes the inner periphery of the front panel,   a back panel removably attached to the body at the open back of the body, said back panel having a lip that extends inwardly toward the cavity, and circumscribes the inner periphery of the back panel,   a first valence circumscribing the lip at the open front of the body,   a second valence circumscribing the lip at the open back of the body,   a third valence circumscribing the lip of the front panel,   a fourth valence circumscribing the lip of the back panel,   said top having an outer surface raised above the portions of the four valences along the top of the case, and   said bottom having an outer surface raised above the portions of the four valences along the bottom of the case.   
     
     
       7. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 6 wherein the right side and left side of the body have openings cut out for receiving handle assemblies. 
     
     
       8. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 7 wherein the right side and the left side of the body each have handle assemblies fixedly attached thereto and covering the openings in the right and left sides respectively. 
     
     
       9. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 6 wherein the first and third valences unite to rest substantially flush against one another when the front panel is attached to the open front of the body, and wherein the second and fourth valences unite to rest substantially flush against one another when the back panel is attached to the open back of the body. 
     
     
       10. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 6 wherein the raised outer surface of the top extends farther outwardly than do the portions of the four valences along the top of the case, and wherein the raised outer surface of the bottom extends farther outwardly than do the portions of the four valences along the bottom of the case. 
     
     
       11. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 6 wherein at least one of the first and second valences is adapted to receive rack-mountable musical sound equipment. 
     
     
       12. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 6 wherein the top of the body has a plurality of male stacking ridges, and wherein the bottom of the body has a plurality of corresponding female stacking ridges, such that when a second case is stacked on top of a first case, the male stacking ridges on the top of the first case fit snugly into the female stacking ridges on the bottom of the second case. 
     
     
       13. A musical sound equipment case comprising: a body molded as a single piece having a top, a bottom, a substantially open right side, a substantially open left side, an open front, and an open back,   said body further comprising a first outwardly extending lip traversing substantially the entire periphery of the open front, and a second outwardly extending lip traversing substantially the entire periphery of the open back,   said top having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips along the top of the case, and   said bottom having an outer surface raised above the portions of the first and second lips along the bottom of the case.   
     
     
       14. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 13 further comprising a front panel removably attached to the body at the open front of the body, a back panel removably attached to the body at the open back of the body, a right side handle assembly secured into the substantially open right side of the body, and a left side handle assembly secured into the substantially open left side of the body, the handle assemblies covering the openings in the right and left sides of the body respectively. 
     
     
       15. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 14 further comprising a first valence circumscribing the lip at the open front of the body, a second valence circumscribing the lip at the open back of the body, a third valence circumscribing the inner periphery of the front panel, a fourth valence circumscribing the inner periphery of the back panel, and wherein the outer surface of the top is raised above the portions of the four valences along the top of the case, and wherein the outer surface of the bottom is raised above the portions of the four valences along the bottom of the case. 
     
     
       16. The musical sound equipment case as in claim 13 further comprising a first valence circumscribing the lip at the open front of the body, and a second valence circumscribing the lip at the open back of the body, and wherein the outer surface of the top is raised above the portions of the first and second valences along the top of the case, and wherein the outer surface of the bottom is raised above the portions of the first and second valences along the bottom of the case.